Living Alone in Safety
One concern for older adults living alone is the possibility of becoming a victim of a crime. In particular, many adults are concerned about safeguarding their home from break-ins.
Fortunately, there are many steps that can be taken to reduce your risk of your home becoming a target for burglary. Does your home measure up in the following areas?
Doors and Locks
Locked Doors – this includes your back door, patio door, and garage door. All doors to the outside should be metal or solid core and have high-quality deadbolt locks. The front door should have a wide-angle peephole to allow you to see and identify who is at your door before you open the door to that person. If you cannot see who is at your door, DO NOT open the door. All doors should be locked even when you are at home.
Sliding Glass Doors - any sliding glass doors in your home should have a secondary blocking device other than the lock or latch that is already installed. The typical lock or latch on your sliding glass door will not always prevent a break-in. A secondary blocking device could be a wooden dowel or stick, a metal fold-down blocking device, or numerous other track-blockers that can be screwed down. To prevent a sliding glass door being lifted off the track -consider drilling a hole through the doorframe and the fixed frame and inserting a pin in the hole. You can also purchase various locking and blocking devices at a local hardware store that will prevent the sliding door from being lifted.
Windows
Pay careful attention to your windows. Because windows have latches and not locks, a secondary blocking device is needed to prevent break-ins. Wooden dowels or sticks can be used for horizontal sliding windows, while a pin drilled through the doorframe and fixed frame can be used for a vertical sliding window. For ventilation, you should block the window open no more than 6 inches and make sure that the blocking device cannot be reached and removed from the outside.
Lighting
Changing your exterior lighting can have a big impact on your home’s appeal to a burglar. Bright exterior lights are a strong deterrent to criminals. Install outside lights on your home and keep them on at night – in addition, you might want to consider installing security lights that will turn on at the detection of heat or motion. You will also want to make sure that your house or apartment number is clearly displayed and visible from the street during the day and at night. This will allow police and other emergency vehicles to find your home quickly in the event of an emergency.
Interior lighting is also important. If you are gone during the day or are on vacation, it is a good idea to have lights on automatic timers. Lights, radios or televisions set on varied timers can easily create the appearance that someone is home.
Landscaping
Pay attention to the landscaping around your home. Be sure to keep trees and bushes around your doors and windows trimmed low, eliminating easy cover for a burglar. Consider planting thorny shrubs under your windows to make access to the windows more difficult.
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